Harvester



No. 6I4,600. Patented Nov. 22, I898.

A. E. ANDERSON.

HARVESTER.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

mew/$071. uflfierflfa/fnder szow m: wnms PETERS c0, mom-mun. WASHWGTHN;u c

No. 614,600. Patented Nov. 22, I898.

A. E. ANDERSON.

HARVESTER.

(Application filed Feb..17, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Wings 6,15. .Zfimswiar fljerfl 0272626718070 UNITED STATES ALBERT E.ANDERSON, OF BELFAST, TENNESSEE.

HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,600, dated November22,1898. Application filed February 17,1898. Serial No. 670,680- (Nomodel.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, -ALBERT E. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Belfast, in the county of Marshall and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in harvesters, and has for itsobject to so arrange the platform and the endless carryingapronrelatively to the cutter-bar or sickle that they shall be insubstantially the same horizontal plane, whereby the grain will bedelivered evenly and squarely upon the apron in such manner as toprevent the butts of the grain from dragging or lagging behind.

It has also for its object to so construct the platform that the grainupon the carryingapron is given a gradual ascending movement as itapproaches the elevator; to provide means for guiding the grain from theplatform, so as to insure its delivery to and reception by theelevator-apron and prevent the grain from falling between theelevatorroller and the platform carrying-apron, and, finally, to providea construction whereby the platform carrying-apron will be tightenedunder the load of grain carried thereby.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction, combination,and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims following the description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, whereinFigure 1 is a front elevation of the platform and apron, the cutter andfinger-bar being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating the guide-plate, andFig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the same detached from theplatform.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the front rail, and 2the rear rail, of the platform, which are suitably connected together bytransverse bars or braces in the usual manner. In the opposite ends ofthe rails 1 and'2 are journaled rollers 3 and 4, about which travels theendless apron 5, provided with the usual transverse slats6. The numeral7 indicates the elevator-aprons traveling about rollers S and 8,arranged in prox= imity to the roller 4.

The front rail 1 is recessed or rabbeted at its forward under edge, asshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to receive the rear portion 9 of theguard-fingers 9, which are firmly connected with said rail by means ofsuitable bolts 10. The numeral 11 indicates the cutter-bar arranged toreciprocate in the guardfingers, as usual. The cutter-bar and the apronare operated by any of the usual or well-known means, and as myinvention does not relate thereto such means are not herein shown ordescribed. The edges of the apron travel upon the upper edges of guardsattached to the inner sides or faces of the rails 1 and 2, as shown.These guards practically form parts of the rails 1 and 2 and are onlymade separate therefrom and afterward bolted thereto for convenience inmanufacture, and it is manifest that they could form integral parts ofsaid rails.

In the following description whenever the rails 1 and 2 are referred toit is to be under stood that the guards on which the edges of the aprontravel are also included. As most clearly shown in Fig. 3, the edges ofthe apron are folded inward and-back upon the body of the apron, as at5, in order to make the edges of the apron which travel on the rails ofdouble thickness, thus elevating the grain-receiving surface of theapron very slightly (in practice about one-fourth of an inch) above theoperative plane of the sickle or cutter. Said rails 1 and 2 at theirinner ends are beveled or inclined upward, so as to cause the apron 5 tohave a gradually-ascending movement as it approaches the elevator-apronand thus deliver the grain to the elevator-apron at a point above theaxial line of the lower roller 8, about which the elevator-aprontravels. To enable this movement of the carrier apron 5 to beaccomplished satisfactorily and for a further purpose to be described,the roller 4:, as shown, is of a larger diameter than the roller 3, thelatter being of a diameter to cause the apron 5 to travel horizontallyon the level portions of the rails l and 2 and the former having alarger diameter to enable the apron 5 to travel up the inclined portionsof the rails l and 2 without strain. The relative diameters of therollers 3 and 4 may be changed to suit any given circumstances withoutdeparting from my invention.

Bolted to the inner end of the front rail 1 is ablock 12, said blockbeing beveled or inclined on its upper edge to correspond to the beveledor inclined portion of the rail 1, and attached to the upper edge ofsaid block is a sheet-metal guide-plate 13, which extends beyond theperiphery of the roller 4 and into close juxtaposition to the roller 8of the elevator-apron. This plate acts as a carrier to lift the butts ofthe grain over the space between the rollers 4t and 8 and deliver thesame to the elevating-apron, which carries it in proper condition forfurther treatment upon the binder-deck. (Not shown.)

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The grain as it is cutfalls upon the apron 5, which, as stated, is arranged in substantiallythe same horizontal plane with the cutter or sickle, and by reason ofthis fact the grain falls uniformly and transversely upon the apron, itsbutts resting on the thickened edge of the apron slightly above thefinger-bar or sickle, so as to avoid entanglement therewith. As thecarrying-apron approaches the elevator it is compelled to take anascending path by the inclined edges of the rails 1 and 2, and the grainis evenly and accurately delivered to the elevating-apron. Theguide-plate 13 prevents the butts of grain falling between the roller 8of the elevator-apron and the roller 4-, upon which the platformcarryingapron is trained. Were it not for the provision of thisguide-plate 13 the butts of the grain would fall between the rollers,with the result that the operation of the apparatus wouldbecome cloggedor the grain unevenly delivered to the apron.

The arrangement of the rollers 3 and 4, upon which the platformcarrying-apron travels, in connection with the inclined portions of therails 1 and 2, compels the apron to take an ascending or rising pathtoward the rear of the platform and renders said apron selftighteningunder the load of grain carried thereby. This will be apparent from aconsideration of the arrangement of the rollers 3 and at and theinclined rails 1 and 2 shown in the drawings.

The normal tendency of that part of the platform carrier-apron which isuppermost in the travel of the apron would be to assume a straight linebetween the peripheries of the rollers 3 and 4; but under the weight ofthe grain carried thereby it is forced out of such line, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, whereby the apron is automatically tightened, sothat it will firmly engage and travel uniformly and evenly upon therollers 3 and 4: and deliver the grain uniformly and evenly to theelevating-apron.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a harvester, thecombination with the platform and reciprocating cutter, of front andrear rails carried by the platform and having their upper edges fromtheir outer ends to a point near their inner ends arranged in the samehorizontal plane with the cutter and having their inner ends inclinedupward, of rollers j ournaled in the inner and outer ends of the rails,an apron driven by said rollers and arranged to travel at its edges onthe upper edges of the rails, and a guide-plate attached to the outerface of the inner end of the front rail and projecting beyond the innerend of the apron in the same plane with the inclined upper inner edge ofthe rail, substantially as described.

2. In a harvester, the combination with the platform and anelevator-apron arranged in proximity to the inner end thereof, ofhorizontal rails fixed 011 the platform and having their inner endsgradually inclined upward toward the elevator-apron, rollers journaledin the opposite ends of the rails, an endless apron driven by therollers, a block attached to the outer face of the inclined end of thefront rail and inclined on its upper edge to correspond with theinclination of the rail, and a guide-plate attached to the inclinedupper edge of said block and projecting beyond the inner end of theapron into close proximity to the elevator-apron, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALBERT E. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. SANDERS, MARCELLUS W. FOWLER.

